The Manga Snob: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

“ We are born of the assembly of those experiences that humans savour.
Alpha. We are humanity's children.”

The setting is Yokohama, Japan in the not too distant future. The world is in it's twilight. Many towns have been lost to the rising sea levels of global warming. The population is in a slow decline. Soon all that will be left of humanity is the cities, the strange luminescent mushrooms that look eerily like lampposts and the androids. No reasons are given as to why these things are happening, there is no lecture on the destructive nature of man. Humanity is just declining. So it goes.
Faced with this ecological apocalypse, mankind has decided to live out it's last days in peace.


Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (abbreviated YKK), translated as “Record of a Yokohama Shopping trip”, is a 14 volume manga by Hitoshi Ashinano, running from 1994 to 2006. The story focuses on the life of Alpha, an android who runs a café out in the countryside. The manga is a collection of mainly episodic pieces, from her running the café, exploring the countryside on her scooter and visiting her friends. The series is quintessential slice of life. There is no overarching plot to speak of and not that much in the way of heavy drama. The focus instead is on atmosphere and characterisation, which it delivers in spades. Also refreshingly, there is little to no fan service, which is surprising considering the majority of the cast are female.

As well as Alpha, there is also a substantial cast of side characters, their interactions making up the majority of the story. There's Kokone, another alpha model android who is Alpha's more reserved sister. Oji-san, the owner of a local gas station who serves as neighbour and grandfather figure to Alpha. Takahiro, a young boy who befriends Alpha. Matsuki, who serves as the childhood friend and love interest to Takahiro. The relationship between Takahiro and Matsuki is a very sweet example of childhood romance and one of the highlights of the series. “Sensei”; an old woman who works as a doctor for both humans and androids. Has a past relationship with Oji-san and a history with the alpha series of androids. We see these characters (and many others) interact and grow over the course of the 14 volumes.
One of the things I love about the series is how it builds a tantalising world through only hints. Very little is explicitly said about the world, instead revealing facts through casual remarks in dialogue and through the artwork. The history of the robots, the nature of the mysterious mushroom people, the identity of Alpha's owner. The series definitely raises more questions than it answers, but that just adds a sense of mystery to the work. It is a perfect example of show, don't tell. This minimalist approach is also used with characterisation. Very little is said explicitly, but Ashashino can tell you a lot more about the relationship between two characters from a simple pause in dialogue then most mangakas could in an entire paragraph. The character development in YKK is gradual, subtle but definitely there. This subtlety in communication gives a sense of realness to the characters. They feel like actual people rather than stereotypes.

Whilst the majority of the manga is very much relaxed and feel good, there is a hint of sadness to the series. Every so often there is a line or panel that reminds you that humanity is not long for this world. This theme is very much based around the Japanese concept,“Mono no aware”. Which basically refers to a sense of sadness for the transient nature of things. This theme is poignantly explored through Alpha and her relationships. Over the course of the series she comes out of her shell and makes a lot of new friends. However since the fact that she is a robot and her friends are mostly human, she knows that she will eventually outlive them.
However, instead of making an otherwise heart-warming series depressing, it makes the time that Alpha has left all the more important.

Impressionism is the word that comes to mind when I think of the artwork, as in the 19^th century artistic movement. The focus being on capturing those serene moments of everyday life, the ones that cause you to stop and stare for a few minutes. Like when you are walking home in late autumn and the long shadows of some trees brought about by the dusk sun catch your eye. A focus on outdoor scenes and the use of lighting to establish mood. The highlight of the series being the striking scenery panels of the Yokohama countryside, which is given an added touch of realism as the series is based near where Ashinano lived (The cafe itself is based on a real life location). The characters are drawn in a definite manga style, but with a ground in realism. Each chapter begins with a character portrait, which are a beautifully done. Even though the series is not officially translated, I would recommend getting the series for the artwork alone. It is in short, astounding.

Of criticisms I have but a few. The downside of the minimal nature of the storytelling is that the series leaves a lot of unanswered questions, which can be frustrating at times. It's a double edged sword really. There is also one particular plot point (which I won't mentioned to avoid spoilers) which is never really explored which is a shame, as it could have been a crucial point of character development.

If you are someone who needs constant drama, action and plot twists, this series is not for you. If you don't mind the slower pace, YKK offers great atmosphere, amazing artwork, lovable characters. It's a metaphorical stop to smell the roses. Sweet with a slight hint of melancholy and mystery. A photo album filled with memories of peaceful days.

As I write this, I am filled with the fear that my words won't do the series justice. I can talk about its technical merits all I want, but that doesn't really capture why the series is so special to me. The feeling I get from the series is the same feeling I get when watching a sweeping vista, or a sunset. A sort of sense of transcendent beauty. All I can say is, check it out for yourself.
There was a quote I found online, which I think summaries YKK.

“What is YKK about? It's about watching a sunset, and not being able to share it with the one person that really matters.”

Similar works: Aria, Mushishi.

Content: (PG) Nothing massively objectionable. Very mild nudity. Some lesbian undertones if you decide to read it that way (you know who you are).

The manga, as of writing, has not been translated into English. However fan translated scans are available online.

There were also two, 2 episode OVA adaptations of the series. I may review them later on but here is my opinion in short:

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Spectacular art and animation. Does a great job of capturing the feeling of the manga, highly recommended.

YKK: Quiet country café: The soundtrack is great.